Kenya team main blog

The Kenya team has its own blog http://kenyamissiontrip2010.blogspot.com
Great pics & Yay God stories!
Some highlights from the last few days include:
"Saturday- One word to describe today, spent in Mathare Valley (one of the world's largests slums, in Nairboi) is INTENSE. Intensity of so many levels. We went to the Hope Mission school and met with Mary and Wallace Kamau, the founders of the school. As our team leader, Dawny, puts it - "They are my heros". The school is an amazing place. They now serve over 4,300 children at multiple locations. There are over 300 people in there employ. We got to go into the classrooms, to see the library, to see the classrooms that are being built, and most importantly, to see the difference that this work is making in the lives of the children of Mathare. One the best moments occured when the team split in two and went with the social workers from the school to do home visits with the children. Pictures and words can't adaequately describe all the we saw and expereinced today. God bless Mary & Wallace, the folks at the school, the people of Mathare, and most especially, the precious children."

And today's (Sun 26 Sep) update:

We Found Joy in Joska!!

Wow!! The bus, with Mary Kamau, came to pick us up early for the drive out to Joska. Joska is the boarding school for children in grades 5-8, about 700 of them, and over 95% of those children come from the slums in Nairobi. At Joska, these children recieve a wonderful education, housing, uniforms, spiritual upbringing and lots and lots of love. These kids are AMAZING. The worship at there church was amazing! The team was blown away by the amount of growth this ministry is experiencing. One of the highlights of our visit to Joska was meeting a very special young man name John. John was a Muslim student who made the decision to give his life to Christ - today!! Dennis was able to lead him, praying for him as he accepted Christ. We spent a very full day there, and the children said good-byes and there were many messages to bring home to their sponsors, and many well wishes and greetings being sent to Brandon Adams, former missionary from Mountain Christian to Kenya.

We were also blessed by being invited to Hope Missions International's founders home, Mary & Wallace Kamau. Their home, like their hearts, is a beautiful place. After a marvelous meal, they treated us to a movie - "One in a Million" - a documentary by John Schmidt, and the story of their son Baraka - a deaf orphan who has recieved nothing short of a miracle in his life. We encourage everyone to go to the CMF International website and order this heartwarming film, to get a glimpse into the life of the Kamau's, their son, and the beautiful children of the Mathare Valley.

Quick Kenya team update

From team member Tracy Jentzsch: "We are safe and sound at Grace House tonight. Had a wonderful day at Joska with the kids, amazing worship and a great dinner and fellowship with Mary and Wallace at their home.
God is good!
Thank you!!
Blessings, Tracy

Kenya team arrives safely!

Team Kenya has arrived safely in Kenya, Praise God!! We had a lovely "send off party" that met us in the parking lot of Mountain at 5 am on Thursday. Thanks to our drivers, Bill and Tom, for getting the team, and all of our luggage, to Dulles. Ethopian Airlines gets big kudos for a wonderful and safe flight. We are tired, but happily here at Grace House. After a quick bite, we managed to make it to Amanyi Aju, a beautiful oasis in the midst of the chaos of downtown Nairobi, to meet with Maggie (the manager) who gave us a tour of the facility, let us meet the ladies, and then led us to the shop so we could see their wares. Amanyi is a refuge for women, some Kenyan, some from surrounding countries, to come and learn a skill and become self sufficient. We then had time for tea at Grace House, and now the team is prepping our tools and equpiment for our first clinic, tomorrow, in Mathare Valley. We will be happy to see missionaries Mary and Wallace Kamau, and of course, the children at the school at Hope Missions International. We will try to post pictures as time, and technology, allow us.

Thanks to all for your continued prayers during this journey!

Amani ya juu ( “higher peace” in Swahili)

Many of our Short Term Mission Teams that go to Kenya have the opportunity to visit and purchase items from a place called Amani ya juu (which means “higher peace” in Swahili) in Nairobi. You may well have gone there during your trip to Kenya. It is an amazing place that receives women from a variety of countries from the continent of Africa. You can see their website at www.amaniafrica.org for the full story.

Debbie Gibbons has emailed an invitation to see and purchase items from there for which ALL proceeds are returned to Kenya.

Here is her invite…

Amani ya juu products will be for sale at my home at these times:

• Friday, September 24 6-10 PM
• Saturday September 25 from 8 AM -11 AM
• Sunday September 26 from 11:30 AM- 3:30 PM

I have a great supply of dolls, handbags, jewelry, etc. Payment can be cash, check, or credit card. ALL money will be returned to Amani ya juu.

Please come to support the wonderful enterprise of these women in Kenya.

Address: 402 Berkshire Court

Joppa, MD 21085

Home Phone: 410-679-8714

Blessings - Debbie Gibbons

MCC mission team Kenya tidbits

PLEASE PRAY…A team of ten left today (Thursday) for a 17 day medical mission trip to the Maasai in rural Kenya. Led by Dr. Wells and Dawn Ament they will be serving in the clinics Glynn and Pat Wells helped to start in the 1980’s. The rest of the team consists of Larry Ament, Jennifer Barnett, Linda Cooper, Karl & Tracy Jentzsch, Kevin Smallwood, Jennifer Wolferman and Dennis Curran.

We will soon be ramping up the most aggressive goal yet for Mountain and Short Term Missions…we want to take 100 people to Kenya on ONE TRIP from June17 to July 1, 2011. The group will be divided into 8-10 sub teams upon arrival to do things like VBS, Medical, Sports, Community Health Evangelism, Sewing, Community Projects, etc. This trip will need solid people on it so please consider your areas of ministry and who you might challenge to GO! We will have materials ready soon by way of introducing this trip.

Brandon A @ Kenya "My Final Days w/ Mission of Hope"

For pics from Brandon, check his personal blog

It is hard to believe that I have already been in Nairobi for two months. My time here has been very fruitful and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to come as an apprentice to Nairobi, Kenya and work with CMF (Christian Missionary Fellowship) and MOHI (Missions of Hope International). My flight leaves today at 11:10 PM (4:10 PM EST) and will land on Dulas on Friday afternoon. As I am excited to come home and share with you my experiences and see my friends and family again I can already tell that it is going to be so hard to leave the Kamau family, apprentices (Erin & Bethany), the MOHI staff and students.

Last week I took my favorite photos that the students took with the disposable cameras to be printed as 8"x10" and framed. On monday they I received a large cardboard box that contained about 40 completed photos mounted in the frames ready and to display. I worked all day hanging the frames in the boardroom in Pangani. Everyone that came in to look at the photos while I was hanging seemed shocked when they found out that the students took the photos and not a photographer. I was very pleased with the way the walls turned out. The room has totally been transformed.

I also had the opportunity to design a logo for the Joska boarding school to be made into a sign out front and to be used on their letterhead. It was cool that I was able to use my design abilities to help out MOHI. You can check out their new logo below.

Brandon A @ Kenya: Edwin & Brian's Birthday Party

Last month I was so excited to find out that my sponsored child was going to have his birthday while I was in Kenya. So, I thought it would be fun to throw a party for Edwin and his twin brother Brian. Earlier this week I connected with the Kosovo social worker, Charity, to help me organize the cakes, presents and the visit to their classes.

This afternoon I walked with Charity with the two cakes and presents thru the slums to visit the Kosovo center. Once their I went into Edwin's class to cut the cake, sing happy birthday a gave him his gifts. Then we visited his brothers class to do the same. Both got a new pair of school shoes and socks, and hand knit hats (Thanks Mackenzie and Aunt Marilyn). It was such a blessing to have the opportunity to celebrate their 13th birthday with them and to be able to visit their home. It is always a good day when you are able to give to the less fortunate and know that you have made a difference in their families lives.